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† the glass factory. †
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##@¤†:~^.. several centuries after it had last ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... belonged to us, we went on an outing to ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... the glass factory that bore our family ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... name. it had changed owners many times .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... since our ancestors death, and then ......^~:†
:~^....... stood abandoned for a long while. .......^~:
†:~^...... finally, the natural end station for ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... the buildings that survive: a museum, .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... and a gift shop. ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. there's a long time since my family ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. made anything. by many, we would be .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. considered poor. ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... there are two main factory buildings, ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... domed things of several floors, made in .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ......^~:†
:~^....... reminescent of some cathedral. .......^~:
†:~^...... custom-made glass, of course, large and ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... practical. on the eastern building, ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... some are shattered. ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. the other one is publicly open. there's .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. a museum, with wax figures of my great ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... great great grandfather, or something. ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... various tools (or replicas) laid out on ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... tables, with explaining texts. a lot of .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... glass of varying thickness. ......^~:†
:~^....... .......^~:
†:~^...... †† ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... †† †† .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... †† †† ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. †† ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... other building. the contrast is ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... overwhelming. it must have stood ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... derelict for a long time, windows .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... broken, metallic trash and pools of ......^~:†
:~^....... dark glass all over the floor. no .......^~:
†:~^...... electric lights, but i can see by the ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... light that shines in wherever the dark .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... windows are missing a pane. ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. however, the greatest difference is the ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. higher floors: this building has none. .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. it is one massive hall, stretching away ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... infinitely above me. somewhere up there ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... is some great iron latticework, from ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... where chains are suspended, and parts .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... of machinery has been falling down. ......^~:†
:~^....... .......^~:
†:~^...... there is, in the middle of the great ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... hall, a thin spiral staircase that .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... leads up there. i sneak over there, and ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... take a few reluctant steps. after just ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. a revolution, i notice that for each ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. step the building starts to glow, the .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. bricks turning a dark red, and then ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... orange, all the piled up debree being ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... lit from behind. ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... i stop ready to run down and out, but ......^~:†
:~^....... there's someone else on the staircase .......^~:
†:~^...... with me now, pressed close. he's ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... looking like me, short hair and thin .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... arms, but with ears from some animal, ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... and more disturbingly, completely made ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. of dark liquid glass. ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. †† ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... †† †† ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... †† †† .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... †† ......^~:†
:~^....... .......^~:
†:~^...... my fear holds me in place while he ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... starts operating levers and dials set .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... in the center of the staircase. slowly, ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... it starts spinning, circling upwards. ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. it's an elevator! i start to run ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. downwards, but now the liquid boy .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. creature grabs hold of me. i try to ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... shake him off, but he's too strong, and ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... pulls me back up beside him. ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... this time, i turn angry instead. what ......^~:†
:~^....... the hell? who is this guy, acting like .......^~:
†:~^...... this? i reach out my free arm and slam ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... a random lever. some metal bar is .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... suddenly released between us, hitting ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... him on the arm, forcing my release. i ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. shove him off of me, and he falls into ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. the levers, messing them up. .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... curtain is dropped around me. but the ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... elevator also speeds up significantly. ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... the walls are flaring now, yellow, ......^~:†
:~^....... white, almost blue. i close my eyes and .......^~:
†:~^...... curl into a ball. but then, the glass ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... boy screams, a piercing sound that .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... becomes too liquid, his body pooling ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. down in his now massive tail, and the ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. drop that falls toward the factory ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... floor. ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... he's crawling on the stairs, unable to .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... keep his body upright. can't reach the ......^~:†
:~^....... levers, claws at my chainmail cage, .......^~:
†:~^...... while his body is turning into dark ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... pearls. finally, he's lost too much of .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... himself and the scream is cut short. ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... the last of him rains down. ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. i still can't reach the levers from .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. within my cage. looking up, i try to ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... make out the ceiling, but it's all a ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... whirling sea of colours. below me glows ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... the hellfire of the factory walls, but .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ......^~:†
:~^....... become still. .......^~:
†:~^...... ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... †† .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... †† †† ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. †† †† ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. †† .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... a large clunk shakes my entire body, ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... and snaps me back into reality. i'm ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... back at the factory floor, but the .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... stairs are still moving slightly, ......^~:†
:~^....... clicking in place, carrying me the last .......^~:
†:~^...... few centimeters. i came from below, ......^~:†
¤†:~^..... somehow. the chainmail is retracted, .....^~:†¤
@¤†:~^.... and i slowly dismount the stairs. ....^~:†¤@
#@¤†:~^... ...^~:†¤@#
##@¤†:~^.. shaking and crying, i make my way over ..^~:†¤@##
###@¤†:~^. the factory floor, wading through dark .^~:†¤@###
##@¤†:~^.. glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ..^~:†¤@##
#@¤†:~^... i see there's something faint inside ...^~:†¤@#
@¤†:~^.... them. embryos? are these eggs? ....^~:†¤@
¤†:~^..... .....^~:†¤
†:~^...... i shudder, and climb back out. ......^~:†
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